Inside a gymnasium near Kanto University, Taichi Kaedehara and Tenma Udai were practising volleyball together.

"Wow, even though you mentioned Aoba Johsai made it to Nationals, I didn't expect you to have improved so much!" Tenma Udai stared at Taichi Kaedehara in amazement. The last time they had parted, he already had high hopes for him, but his growth was still astonishing.

Initially, Tenma had assumed that Aoba Johsai's success had little to do with Taichi, given he was only a first-year.

But now, it seemed he had been completely wrong.

Just a few rounds of watching him play revealed how difficult it would be to defend against Taichi's attacks. Moreover, the techniques Tenma had demonstrated to him months ago had been mastered to an impressive degree.

"So, you've specialized in these moves, but your basic spiking techniques are just average, huh?" Tenma remarked, shaking his head after hearing about the challenges Taichi faced on the court.

"It's all because your moves are just too effective, Udai-sensei!" Taichi replied with an embarrassed laugh.

"Hmph!" Tenma scoffed, his confidence in volleyball matters showing through.

"First, you have to understand that cross-court spikes and straight-line spikes aren't separate concepts. Both rely on wrist or body rotation. Only by mastering both can you exploit gaps in your opponent's defence."

"Got it!" Taichi listened intently, so focused that any Aoba Johsai coach witnessing this scene might have been moved to tears.

From the perspective of an attacker at the sideline, the opponent's court forms a right-angled attack zone. Even the narrowest cross-court spike would land near the three-meter line.

Thus, the attack trajectories from the corner to the three-meter line fan out in a sector of less than 90 degrees.

From the sideline, the spike paths are: straight-line, narrow cross, mid-range cross, deep cross, midline, and broad cross.

"Try spiking along each trajectory," Tenma instructed, observing from the side.

"Got it!" Taichi responded and executed spikes along the outlined paths.

"As expected, your ball control is good, so you can manage the basic trajectories. But without enough power, any trajectory that requires wrist rotation will lose additional force. This makes your spikes soft and less threatening."

"Building strength comes with muscle training over time. Focus on mastering wrist rotation first. I suggest starting with straight-line and deep cross spikes. Once you've gained more power, gradually work on midline and narrow cross trajectories," Tenma advised, quickly identifying Taichi's weaknesses and offering tailored training suggestions.

"Understood."

Taichi nodded earnestly. He was already working on strengthening his core and arms, so combining these efforts shouldn't be an issue.

Theoretical points were always quick to explain, but truly mastering techniques required extensive practice. After bidding Tenma farewell, Taichi began his training in the gymnasium.

Tenma smiled wryly and shook his head. He had hoped to discuss more about their manga details with Taichi, but the latter was a complete volleyball fanatic!

Still, wasn't he just the same back in high school?

-------

The next morning, Taichi arrived early at the Sumida City Gymnasium in Tokyo. Teams from various schools were already there, filling the venue with lively chatter and excitement.

"Wow, as expected of a big city. Even the gymnasium is enormous," Taichi mused as he wandered around, looking for Nekoma players.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"

That voice!

Though he had never heard it in person, the rhythm and energy were unmistakable.

Kōtarō Bokuto!

Taichi turned toward the sound, and sure enough, a figure with a trademark 'owl hairstyle' appeared before him.

[Kōtarō Bokuto, Wing Spiker(Ace). Overall ability score: 93; Height: 185.3 cm, Strength: 95, Jump: 90, Stamina: 97, Speed:

 90. Skills: Serve: 90, Spike: 94.]

So strong!

"Yo, Kenma, look who's here..." Kuroo Tetsurō said to Kozume Kenma beside him.

"Someone you know? He's staring at Bokuto-senpai like a fan," Akaashi Keiji remarked as he stood nearby.

Only then did Taichi notice the banners: Fukurōdani Academy, Nekoma High, Shinzen High, and Ubugawa High.

Tokyo's tournament sure is something.

"I am a fan of Bokuto-senpai," Taichi admitted politely, smiling at Akaashi. "I've watched him play before. Hello, Akaashi-senpai. I'm Taichi Kaedehara, a first-year from Aoba Johsai Volleyball Club, Miyagi Prefecture."

"What a polite kid. Is he really Bokuto-senpai's fan?" Akaashi's expression was complex.

Meanwhile, Taichi had already joined Nekoma's group, chatting enthusiastically with Kozume Kenma.

Kuroo smirked mischievously. "Don't be fooled by him. He's a first-year from Aoba Johsai, yes, but he's also a representative for the Miyagi region."

"Miyagi? The region with Ushijima?" Akaashi's ears perked up at the mention of the familiar name.

Bokuto's gaze sharpened as it landed on the first-year chatting happily with Kenma. "So, they defeated Ushijima's Shiratorizawa—a potential opponent for the Nationals?"

"Bingo!" Kuroo's smirk widened. "And according to Kenma, he's their ace."

"An ace, and a first-year, who beat Wakatoshi Ushijima..." Bokuto fell silent, his demeanour shifting as a sharp, competitive aura enveloped him.

"Oh no, how scary!" Kuroo joked, though he couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for their future opponents.

Akaashi, standing between the two, moved to shield Bokuto. "Thanks a lot, Kuroo-senpai. What a way to fire up our ace right at the start."

"Hehe..."@@novelbin@@

"Kenma, are you nervous?" Taichi asked as they chatted. It was half an hour before the teams would head to their courts for warm-ups.

"Not really. The first opponent isn't too strong," Kenma replied softly, conserving his energy as always.

"True, but you might face Itachiyama in the second round..." Taichi glanced toward Itachiyama's area but couldn't spot Sakusa Kiyoomi.

"Hmm..." Kenma's expression soured slightly at the mention but remained calm. "Nothing we can do about it."

"Really, Kenma-senpai? Didn't you just say there's nothing to worry about?" A tall figure approached from behind. "With me, the ace, on the team, Nekoma is different now!"

Taichi turned to see a familiar face grinning at him.

[Lev Haiba, Middle Blocker. Overall ability score: 80; Height: 194.3 cm, Strength: 82, Jump: 83, Stamina: 88, Speed: 88. Skills: Receive: 55, Spike:

64.]

At 1.94 meters, with such physical attributes, he was definitely impressive—though his technical skills were about as raw as Taichi's had been at the start.

"Lev, focus on your receives before talking big!" Yaku Morisuke barked, landing a light kick on Lev's shin.

"Ah....Yaku-senpai, don't cope too hard...."

"Lev!!!"

------

The match was about to begin. Taichi Kaedehara returned to the second-floor stands, eager to catch both Nekoma's and Fukurodani's matches. After careful consideration, he decided to watch Nekoma first. After all, loyalty couldn't be tossed aside so easily.

"Go, Nekoma! Push forward, Nekoma!"

A small girl stood at the front of Nekoma's cheering section, holding a megaphone as she led the crowd in their cheers.

"Yo! It's Captain Akane of the cheer squad!" It was evident how much everyone adored her.

"Hehehe!" Yamamoto Akane laughed brightly.

"Your sister is as enthusiastic as ever!" Yaku Morisuke commented with a smile.

Yamamoto Taketora covered his face, visibly embarrassed. "Sorry about that, as always..."

Shifting his gaze, Taichi noticed Lev Haiba's older sister, Alisa Haiba, standing with her arms spread wide, enthusiastically cheering for her brother.

"As stunning as ever, Lev's sister!"

"Right?!"

-----

"Aoba Johsai defeated both Karasuno and Shiratorizawa to secure their spot in nationals. There's no way we can lose to them!" Kuroo Tetsuro rallied his teammates before the game.

"Of course not!"

From his seat, Taichi observed Nekoma's match against Matsukawa Industrial. The opposing team wasn't particularly strong and had no standout players. Nekoma seemed to handle them with ease.

Bang!

A sharp spike caught Taichi's attention.

Kuroo Tetsuro executed a perfect straight-line approach. Matsukawa's blockers, misreading his intentions, prepared to block a straight shot. However, Kuroo spiked the ball diagonally, breaking through their defence to score.

Immediately after, Kuroo sprinted diagonally toward the setter, his movements and spiking form deceptively signalling another diagonal attack. As the blockers focused their efforts, Kuroo smashed a straight-line shot, catching them off guard once more.

Taichi imagined himself in the blockers' shoes and winced at the difficulty of the situation.

From practice, Taichi knew that executing such precision attacks required exceptional wrist control and core strength. Especially when spiking along the court's edges, the slightest miscalculation could send the ball out of bounds.

Taichi watched intently, itching to jump in and play a few sets himself.

The score reached [Nekoma 18 vs 9 Matsukawa] when Nekoma called for a substitution: Lev Haiba IN, and Inuoka Sō OUT.

It seemed Coach Nekomata had high expectations for Lev Haiba.

As the match continued, it became clear to any observer that Nekoma's offence was heavily favouring Lev.

Smack!

Yaku Morisuke flawlessly received the opponent's spike.

Kenma Kozume glanced at Lev and set the ball high in the middle.

"Finish it, Lev!"

Lev began his approach several meters from the net, his steps short and powerful as he accelerated. His final strides lengthened to generate momentum for the jump. With a forceful push off the ground, his body soared.

So high!

Lev swung his arm powerfully.

Fhoosh-

Spike miss. Lev failed to make contact as the ball flew out of bounds.

The whistle blew. Nekoma High called for a timeout.

------

"Kenma, I'm leaving Lev to you," Coach Nekomata said with a gentle smile after outlining the strategy.

Kenma sighed.

"Whenever this happens, your expressions are particularly vibrant," Coach Nekomata chuckled warmly.

Kenma scowled and walked over to Lev, giving his leg a light kick before launching into a stream of critiques.

"You were too flustered earlier, overexerting yourself during the play…"

"Kenma-senpai?!"

"You should at least track the ball properly! Also, don't drop your elbows, and prioritize the height of your hit over speed—"

"Ah, Senpai! You're saying so much at once; I can't remember it all!" Lev frantically waved his hands.

"I've told you this 8,000 times already!" Kenma grumbled.

"Wow, Kenma-senpai is scarier than Taketora-senpai and Yaku-senpai in moments like this!" Lev mumbled, lowering his head to endure the scolding.

"It seems you're still far behind Taichi….no, even Shōyō is ahead of you."

"!!!"

Lev glared at the stands in frustration. When Taichi noticed his gaze, he smiled and waved encouragingly.

"Damn it!" Lev clenched his fists.

-----

By the time Nekoma finished their first set, Fukurodani's second set was already underway.

The opposing team served first, but Fukurodani's libero, Komi Haruki, received it effortlessly.

"My ball!" Kōtarō Bokuto called out.

His voice, brimming with passion yet steady, embodied Bokuto's contradictions. When Akaashi Keiji looked toward him, he saw something rare—a perfectly confident call for the first point.

Bokuto began his approach with his arms trailing behind him like wings. At the peak of his jump, his arms spread wide before swinging forward.

"Double block!" The opposing blockers timed their jump.

Without hesitation, Bokuto powered through their defence, spiking the ball down sharply.

Bang!

The volleyball ricocheted off their hands and flew high into the air.

"!!!" Taichi reflexively reached out, catching the ball with one hand.

"Hey! Hey!! Hey!!!" Bokuto pumped his fists excitedly, his fiery gaze locking with Taichi's from across the court.

Though the ball had flown toward Taichi unintentionally, the exchange felt like a direct challenge.

"See you at nationals!" Taichi mouthed silently. He was certain Bokuto would understand.

"I'm fired up now!" Bokuto exclaimed. "Bring me another!"

Fukurodani served again. Sarukui Yamato's powerful serve disrupted the opponent's formation.

"Nice serve, Sakurai!"

The opposing team barely saved the ball, returning it weakly. Komi received it effortlessly.

"Left-wing! Mine!" Bokuto shouted again.

Without hesitation, Akaashi set the ball to the left.

Bokuto was already in midair.

"Triple block!"

Bang!

The sound of a sharp-line spike rang through the gym. Bokuto's ferocious hit broke through all three blockers.

This was Bokuto's answer.

"See you at nationals!"

_________

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